New, ritzy Australian hotels have been

(33 - Sunday, April 17, 1988 - North Shore News

t
f

_ popping up like dingoes at a rabbit dinner

PERTH —. The outback image of Australia took a severe
- knock when the classy Regent Hotel opened in Sydney —

and since then ritzy hotels
dingoes at a rabbit dinner. *
In fact Paul Hogan and Croco-
dile: Dundee~came along just’ in
time to correct the creeping notion
that Australia: was becoming aS CX-

citing as Coquitlam ona wet Sun-

day.; He
The real story is that the Aussies
“have everything ° under control.

The Regent is there, : and so. is the

outback ‘with its: kangaroos, croc...
sand fi : 2 others:

resort ‘which offers: both: the. “outs.
‘doors ‘and good: living, located. in -

the wine-growing area of Margaret
River, three’ ot ‘of Perth,

~with children:

have been popping up like

choose from a daily program of
rock climbing, Tope adventures,
canoe touring, caving, kayaking,
orientecring, wilderness skills, cre-
ative, arts, wiidflower walks, or
they can visit: nearby wincries and

swim at a magnificent beach 10

minutes away.

Richard is a qualified ‘outdoor
instructor and both Richard and
Lorraine have teaching experience
Merribrook is a
paradise for children, and the Fir-
‘ths and. their assistants” have
‘thoughtful touches like an carly

‘meal for litle children.

This leaves dinner for adults and
bigger kids, which is in fact a din-
ner party with. guests grouped ‘at

three or four. tables, one of them |

with a huge candelabra.
The Firths produce. wonderful

‘. meals from local. produce and they

don’t mind if guests wander into

“the kitchen to sce what's cooking.

Lorraine says the $500,000. resort

> evolved from a mutual desire to do -

: ‘something in the bush; but to do it
<nProperly,: a . place. where ‘peopie |
could get a taste:cf the, outback

without having to. rough it.

“They': already have an. ..en- 5
“ “thusiastic’ ‘clientele from the Perth

‘area. * Some’ clients* are « couples
“who. ‘want. a~ short:
~are small

vironment fora think-tank.) +:

.._ Some visitors do little more than.”
._ Sit: in’ theiz: ‘private -verandas. and
fead_a..book, “such: as. the “couple ~

a testing :up. after

from ; Vancouvel

: "marvellous ‘job, but*one? thing it

Qantes- docs a

he,” long flight ©

property include’ a wood-fired
‘sauna and bush bicycles, but there
are no radios, TVs or room tele-
phones.

Merribrook is not licensed and
the routine common in’ many
Australian restaurants and small
hotels, is to bring your own
(BYO),  -

Public transport is available to
Margaret River, where travellers
can arrange to be picked up, but 2
rental car is recommended for GX:
ploring.

Rates including all meals, are
Aus$64 per’ person mid-week 2nd

erribrook'’s address is PO
Cowaramup, W-A., 6284,

‘ phone 097--555490.

Merribrook. can. be. combined
with the Margaret’ River wine-

’ growing area and the historic town
‘of Albany for an enjoyable three
or four-day: excursion by rental.

car,
This takes. in the far southwest
corner of Australia, known here as -

tele- ,

the “prettiest corner’ of the con-_

tinent.”

Margaret River is worth a
browse and al! around are wincries
where tastings and sales are of-
fered. Farms also have fresh pro-
duce, honcy and jams.

Several coast resorts and
countless beaches are close by, a
magnet for sailboarders from all
over the world.

. is an’ casy drive to Agusta,
where the Cape Lecuwin light-
house guards the juncture of the
Indian. and Southern Oceans, and
there’s 4 good picnic place under

the trees between the lighthouse’
“and and old water wheel.

Denmark is just to the east, one
of these out of ‘the, way places
whese something marvellous turns

up '-— in this case an amazing col-.

fection of mainly Engiish antiques
dating from ihe 16th century, in-
cluding the great Golden Bed pres-

ented by Phillip 2 of Spain: to’

* Queen Mary when they married in

SURPE ;
H ANNUAL

can't’ control is the clock and‘its.”: §

nd ont human system: °° -e"
., Merribrook is especially ‘pleasant’
Sin. the evening, when” shadows ‘ap-
pear over the™ still? lake; “anda 2

cockatoo in. a jarrah tree whistles

: forests,

1554. The ocean’ here has great
rock and spear fishing, and when
you stand on the beach the next
thing over the horizon i is the South
Pole.

Still going cast, ‘Albany i is next,
charming little spot that started life
in 1862 as the first. settlement in
Western Australia. A replica of the
brig Amity, which sailed into King
George Sound with 23 convicts'‘and
23 soldicrs, sits ia. the foreshore
and is well worth a visit,
Throughout the trip travellers will
see something of. the varicty ‘of
Western Australia, including
roiling hills and. one—
horse towns not unlike Walkabout
Creek of Crocodile Dundee fame.

. Numerous’ round-trip seach

- tours from Perth are available, in-

cluding a five-day by Pinnacle
Tours. which takes in Agusta, a
river cruise, Denmark, Albaity and
a visit to the Oklahoma? ‘stud and

home, via the graceful forests of
; Porongurup National Park...